Movies
Zero Dark Thirty
This might be my favorite Jessica Chastain movie. She does a fantastic job embodying intelligence analyst that I know and have worked with. Absolute dedication, focus, and mostly obsessive tendencies to see it to the end.
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Books
The Old Ways
This book is a compilation of stories from the author as he walks through the old road in the English countryside. Some of the stories are interesting, while others fall flat on deaf ears. The book description has lot of metaphor that I didn't pick up
TV
The Big Bang Theory
This is one of my favorite shows that I can watch on repeat as the episodes are individual which for a 30-minute show, that is exactly what you want. You want something that you can jump into and out of.
Books
Cult of the Dead Cow
Joseph Menn spent so much time talking all about the different prominent members of CdC in both their technical and humanitarian efforts that you really can feel the impact they have left in the world. The end of the book is completely devoted to a hero-worship political puff piece.
Movies
The Mechanic
I enjoy this movie. It's simple, sets up a great universe that honestly the John Wick universe could be a part of in respect of this shadow hitman world. Jason is surround by half measures and is type cast so he doesn't flex his muscles, pun intended, too much.
Books
Range
Reading this book was such a inspiration about not being one of the kids/adults that has been on "The perfect path" since 1st grade to do X. Presenting evidence about studies that show that is a quicker "catch up" to those tiger kids/adults.
Books
The Bourne Trilogy - A comparison between the books and movies
The themes do not change, assassin who lost his memory meets a woman who helps him and they fall in love. The second book there is a massive change in the story as far as location, but someone claiming to be him still is there. Then in book three it comes back to being basically the same theme.
Books
The N Word
Jabari Asim does a masterful job of walking the reader through the history of the word as well as just the differences and evolution of the racism that the word became. This is a history book ... and other evidence of the ever changing and venom that the word has become.
Books
Game of Thrones (TV and Books)
The story is wonderful. Very full, rich, and deep of background. The descriptions of the politics and the back and forth is so twisty and turning that some of the scenes are still talked about as the biggest surprises around, for instance: The Red Wedding, Death of Sean Bean, and others.
Books
Dead Fall
Brad Thor does a fantastic job of taking something currently culturally relevant and applying some shade to those events, but uses enough fiction to make it not completely true story. The gun fights, story structure, and overall entertainment are well done enough.
Movies
Plane
A decent movie overall, even though it is for sure a B rated movie. Gerard Butler is always a force to be dealt with when he is in the movie. This movie also has Remi Adeleke who wrote Transformed as one of the support forces. The story is forced, but the action is really good.
Books
Artemis
Andy Weird admittedly missed the mark on this book. The overall story is well told, but the characters just constantly make stupid decisions and never make an effort to correct their thinking even after they say they are going to make changes. The book also feels just a little too long.